BRICS Influence Grows as Japan Restarts Russian Crude Imports

On June 8, 2025, a tanker under U.S. and European sanctions quietly docked in Japan, delivering Russian crude oil to a local refinery. This gesture, far from trivial, reveals a silent rift in the Western consensus on energy. While the G7 has been trying for two years to isolate Moscow, Tokyo prioritizes its energy security. This episode, both symbolic and strategic, could quietly redraw the lines of a world energy order in flux.

The Return of Russian Crude Under Watch in Japan

While Donald Trump had mentioned 50% taxes on Russian oil, Japan imported a crude oil cargo for the first time in over two years. The delivery was made by the “Voyager”, a tanker sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union, making the operation particularly notable.

The ship docked on June 8, 2025, at a facility of Taiyo Oil, which confirmed that it had purchased Russian crude.

It is Sakhalin Blend, a type of crude extracted in the Russian Far East, connected to the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 energy projects. While the operation remains exceptional, it raises several concrete points:

• Japan had not imported Russian oil since 2022, when it aligned itself with the G7 sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
• The crude comes from a strategic region (Sakhalin Island) where Japan still holds interests in gas projects through Mitsui and Mitsubishi.
• The delivery was made by a ship explicitly sanctioned by Western powers, which could theoretically pose legal or diplomatic problems.
• The operation seems to have been made possible by specific exemptions Japan retains to guarantee its energy security, notably regarding supplies linked to Sakhalin.

These elements highlight growing tension between geopolitical commitments and energy interests, in a context where supply autonomy becomes a vital stake for Tokyo.

Between Political Alliances and Energy Realities

The delivery operation, though discreet, is already the subject of questions within diplomatic and energy circles. It takes place even as Tokyo remains officially aligned with Western sanctions.

No official reaction has been made by Japanese authorities. However, this importation is driven by the need to maintain the stability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, notably in connection with the infrastructures and projects of Sakhalin.

While the cargo concerns oil, it could indirectly serve to preserve Japanese strategic interests in gas projects by avoiding offending Russia, a key country in the BRICS alliance.

This decision is not without risk for Japan’s image on the international stage. Although Western sanctions against Russia mainly aim to reduce Moscow’s energy revenues, Japan had already obtained certain exemptions to continue importing Russian LNG.

This time, it clearly concerns oil, transported by a sanctioned ship. Moreover, this could fuel diplomatic tensions, especially with Washington, Tokyo’s main strategic ally. The delivery, though punctual, could also open the way to similar initiatives by other Asian countries, thereby weakening the anti-Kremlin energy front.

In the medium term, can Japan sustainably reconcile its political commitments with its energy constraints? If other shipments follow, it might mark the beginning of a tacit easing of the bans on Russian oil in Asia, in a context where current energy revenues no longer support military spending. For now, this operation remains an officially tolerated exception, but it reveals growing tensions between diplomatic ethics and energy reality, in a world where alliances waver in the face of economic survival imperatives.